Laurel and Hardy: horror of the company
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Thick and stupid - horror of the company |
| Original title | Great Guns |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1941 |
| length | 74 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 6 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Monty Banks |
| script | Lou Breslow |
| music | David Buttolph |
| camera | Glen MacWilliams |
| cut | Alfred DeGaetano |
| occupation | |
| |
Laurel and Hardy - horrors of the company (also under the TV Title Large caliber known) is an American comedy film from the year 1941 by Monty Banks with the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy in the lead roles.
action
Daniel Forrester IV is a wealthy young man who suffers from the constant interference of his aunts Martha and Agatha in his life. The two women believe that Daniel's health is not going well. Daniel is all the more pleased that he is drafted into the military. With this he wants to prove to himself and his aunts that he is physically fit. Daniel passed the medical exam without any problems. His chauffeur Oliver and the gardener Stan have also signed up for military service. You should take care of the young man.
Basic training takes place at Fort Merritt, Texas . The sometimes tough exercises and the drill are no problem for Daniel, while Stan and Olli cannot get used to the strict regulations. The instructor Sergeant Hippo soon realizes that the two are actually unfit for military service. Hippo is also bothered by the crow Penelope, which Stan keeps as a pet.
Daniel piques the interest of Ginger Hammond, who works as a photo lab technician at Fort Merritt. The jealous sergeant begins to terrorize his new recruits. Stan and Ollie hear Daniel admit his love for Ginger in his sleep. The two worry that this romance would put too much strain on Daniel's supposedly weak heart. Stan and Ollie dress up as stockbrokers and government officials and visit Ginger. They tell her that Daniel is really poor as a beggar. However, Ginger recognizes them from a photo and throws them out. Stan and Ollie now ask Hippo for advice, who spontaneously cancels Daniel's home leave so that he cannot meet with Ginger. He has his rival locked in the guardhouse.
Stan and Ollie take part in a maneuver. During the maneuver, the blue team is supposed to build a bridge and then attack the white team. Stan and Ollie are used as scouts for the white team. However, they are soon captured and forced to help build bridges. Hippo makes fun of Daniel about the capture of his friends. Daniel can free himself from the guard house. With the help of the crow Penelope, Daniel locates Stan and leads the white team to the bridge. The bridge is blown up, the white team has won.
Martha, Agatha and Ginger watch as the proud Daniel drills during an inspection. Penelope also takes part in the exercise, wearing a specially sewn uniform. Stan and Ollie, who are sitting in a street cleaning van belonging to the sanitary unit, form the end.
Reviews
The lexicon of international films describes the film as "the low point of the comedian duo."
The film magazine Cinema describes the film as "the big upheaval and break-in for Stan and Ollie. They weren't allowed to intervene in the script or improvise, and their mask was changed. What previously looked childishly playful was now like senile fooling around." The magazine drew the conclusion: "At that time a descent, from today's perspective amusing."
background
The film premiered on October 10, 1941. The location was shot at Fort Bliss Army Base in Texas. Alan Ladd , who was still unknown at the time, can be seen in a minor supporting role as a soldier .
The film is the first film the comedian duo made for 20th Century Fox . Unlike the films that Laurel and Hardy made for MGM , Laurel had no influence on the script or editing at Fox. For director Monty Banks it was the only feature film he directed in the USA, and it was also his last directorial work.
German versions
- The first German version was shown for the first time on June 7, 1957 under the title Dick und Doof: Schrecken der Firmen. The synchronized recordings took place at Ultra Film Synchron under the direction of Franz-Otto Krüger , who wrote and directed the book. Walter Bluhm spoke to Stan and Clemens Hasse dubbed Ollie. Other roles include Gert Günther Hoffmann (Dick Nelson), Erich Fiedler (Ludwig Stoessel), Agnes Windeck (Mae Marsh), Ursula Krieg (Ethel Griffies), Franz-Otto Krüger (Charles Arnt), Arnold Marquis (James Dundee), Wolfgang Lukschy (Edmund MacDonald), Curt Ackermann (Kane Richmond), Maria Körber (Sheila Ryan) and Konrad Wagner (Paul Harvey).
- The second version was created in 1978 at Beta Technik for the series Laugh with Stan and Ollie under the title Large Caliber . Theo Lingen spoke introductory words. Wolfgang Schick based himself on the book of the first version and directed the dialogue. Walter Bluhm spoke to Stan again and Michael Habeck lent Ollie his voice.
Web links
- Laurel and Hardy: terrors of the company in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Laurel and Hardy: horror of the company in the German dubbing index , 1st version
- Laurel and Hardy: horror of the company in the German dubbing index , 2nd version
Individual evidence
- ↑ Laurel and Hardy: Horrors of the Company. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ↑ Critique of Cinema
- ↑ a b Norbert Aping: Das kleine Dick-und-Doof-Buch Schüren, Marburg 2014, appendix p. 419f.